While Ike dollars were designed for use in commerce, the coin scarcely saw use in day-to-day transactions because many people preferred the lightweight dollar bill that could be folded. The Eisenhower dollar became the nation’s largest circulating copper-nickel clad coin by physical size and weight - a claim the coin still boasts today. The design on the reverse (tails side) was borrowed from the Apollo 11 insignia designed by astronaut Michael Collins, who flew on that mission.

Frank Gasparro designed the portrait of Eisenhower seen on the obverse (heads side) of the coin.

That was the same year the United States claimed a major victory in the Space Race by landing the first man on the moon.īoth Eisenhower and the successful Apollo 11 lunar mission that brought Neil Armstrong and his comrades to the moon are honored on these U.S. Eisenhower, who died a couple years earlier in 1969. The Eisenhower dollar debuted in 1971 to pay tribute to President Dwight D. In fact, some 1977 Eisenhower dollars are worth hundreds, even thousands of dollars! That’s right, 1977 “silver dollars” really aren’t silver at all.īut that doesn’t mean these classic copper-nickel clad dollar coins don’t offer anything as collectibles. Let’s start with one of the most important things you should know about 1977 Ike dollars…Įxcept for a few rare off-metal errors (see below), 1977 Eisenhower dollars don’t contain any silver whatsoever. Here are the answers you’re looking for… Fun Facts About Eisenhower Dollar Coins So, how much more than face value are these dollar coins worth?Īnd how much silver is in a 1977 silver dollar anyway? The answer is YES - all 1977 Ike dollars are worth more than face value! If you buy thru these links, we may earn a commission at no additional cost to you.Ĭome across a 1977 Eisenhower silver dollar and want to know if it’s worth more than face value?

1972 eisenhower dollar melt value